Zeb Ali, MD, FACS

What is radiation therapy? Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. About half of all cancer patients undergo RT. This treatment uses a form of energy to destroy a cancer cell's genetic material so that it can no longer divide and multiply.

Unfortunately, RT also damages and kills healthy cells. This can lead to negative side effects, some of which are long-term and may occur months or years after RT.

For example, if a patient had a cancer in his mouth, he would receive RT in this area. A possible side effect would be a jawbone that is chronically scarred and deprived of blood flow, leading to increased cavities, bone infections and poor healing even after minor dental work, such as a tooth extraction. This type of chronic RT side effect is called Osteo Radio Necrosis (ORN). Additionally, people who receive RT in the abdomen and pelvis may suffer from chronic irritation of the lining of the intestines, bladder and other organs. Some may develop chronic pain and diarrhea with bleeding (Radiation Enteritis and Radiation Proctitis).

And some may have painful urination with bleeding (Radiation Cystitis). Again, the bottom line in all these RT side effects is too much scar tissue and too little blood flow to the area that received RT.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can treat and sometimes prevent many of these long-term side effects of RT.

HBOT involves placing a patient in a clear chamber that is then pressurized similar to an airplane cabin. Under this pressure, a high dose of oxygen is directed into the chamber.

This allows the patient's body tissues to absorb large amounts of oxygen in short time periods. As it turns out, this very high oxygen level in body tissue is an excellent way to treat many diseases, including many of the long-term side effects associated with RT. HBOT rapidly stimulates the growth of new tissues to replace the old scar tissue. HBOT also triggers significant growth of new blood vessels to greatly improve the blood flow into the area.

This treatment is covered by Medicare and private insurance. It is painless, with very minimal side effects. HBOT has been proven in many studies to be a great benefit in reversing long-term side effects from RT and is no longer considered "experimental."